Fluorescent lamp socket



Sept. 2,'1941. H. HUBBELL ETAL i 2,254,222

FLUORESCENT LAMP SOCKET Filed Dec. 22, 1939 l conditions;v

Patented Sept. l1 941 v .FLUORESCENT LAMP SOCKET- Harvey Hubbell, LongHill, and Joseph F. Healy,

J r., Bridgeport, Conn., assignors to Harvey Hubbell, Incorporated,Bridgeport, Conn., Aa'corporation of Connecticut Application December22, 1939, Serial No. 310,600 I 12 claims. (cina-32s) This inventionrelates tov electric lamp sockets, particularly a socket for mountingfluorescent tubular lamps in which a pin .type of mounting is used, thatis, the external contacts are usually,

a pair of parallel pntype contacts projecting from the end oi' the tube.In this type of lamp the usual type of mounting requires a turningmovement to the lamp in inserting it in and removing it from the socket,which on account of the limited space availableis often difiicult toaccomplish, They are also often mounted in a suspended position and itis'lmportant that the lamp to permit its removal from or mounting y itin the socket, but that should it become accidentally released is willbe held against dropping from the socket. y

It is also-an object to provide such a mounting vsocket whichhasincidental switch operation, or, in o her words, in which the lampmay be par y released' and-this operation will open the circuit to thelamp.

Another vobject isto provide a construction in which the lamp is lockedin the socket and released in two :stages so that should one stage ofthe lock be accidentally released the lamp would still be retained inthe socket because of the second stage.

With the foregoing and other objects in view we have devised aconstruction Aillustrated in the Fig. 4 .is a similar view showing thesocket reversed so that the lamp is vlocated above the support insteadof being suspended from it;

Figs. 5 and 6 are a side and end elevation respectively of one endportion of a standard type of fluorescent lamp;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation contact in the socket;

. Fig. 8 is anV edge elevation contact; and

"Fig, `9 is a. view looking from the right of'Fig. 8 with partsbroken.away to more clearly show the construction.

lIn Fig. 1 the uorescenttubulai" lamp I0 is shown suspended by thesockets II from a base I2 ofany suitable type or constructionwhichordinarily would be in any' suitable type of enclosing casing, notshown, forgood appearance and on which may be mounted theusual boosterorxcontrol unit I3 properly connected by the wires I4 with the contactsin the sockets II, and through them and the pin contacts I5 and I6projectingirom the ends of the lamp, with the electrodes in the lamp.These leads may be connected. with a suitable attachment plug cap I'Ifor plugging into any suitable type of of the inner spring of the `outerspring outlet or receptacle connected to the house wirbut that variouschanges and modifications. may

be employed within thev scope ,of the invention.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mounting showing how our improved socketmay be employed in supporting tubular fluorescent lamps;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the socket on an enlarged scale looking towardthe outer side thereof with the`cover`plate removed and showlng the lampcontacts in normal position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing one stage of the locking operationreleased and showing the position a suspended lamp occupiesunder theseing system.

The socket II is shown in detail in Figs. and 4. It comprises aninsulating body I8 having a lbase I9 by which it may be mounted on thesupport I2. This body Ahas in its inner side and extending from the endedge 20 thereof a slot 2| for insertion of the pin cont-acts I5, I6 by alateral movement. 'I'he opposite side of the body 'is open and closed byan insulating plate 22 seated at its edges on the shoulders 23 andv 2isurrounding the recess in the body and fasy 3l is composed of a strip ofresilient metal se- Acured at its inner end to 'a plate 33 which ismounted in the body by seating at itsfedges in'notches .3l and carries abinding screw 35 A for connection to a lead wire 36. At its opposite 30and is secured. at its inner end to a plate.

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with the contact 3|. Thus the circuit throughy the lamp is broken and wesecure the incidental switch action in this arrangement of the socketthe same as we did with the socket arranged as in Figs. 2 and 3. -Wealso have .the locking and releasing of the contacts by two stages as inthe first arrangement. It will further be evident that the socket can beused in the horizontal position if desired and will function in the samemanner. Although contacts 3| and 32 are shown as resilient or springcontacts they could be rigid or ilexible contacts mounted for lateralmovement under action of separate springs.

It will be evident from the above that we have 'provided a simple socketfor this type of -lamp into which the lamp contacts may be inserted andfrom which they may be removed quickly and easily with simple slidingmovements, but that the contacts are effectively heldA inthe socket.Also thatjthe two stage locking and unlocking feature greatly reducesthe liability of the lamp being accidentally released from the socket,but permits quick and easy removal from the socket if desired. Further,this double release feature gives incidental switch operation.

Having thus set forth the nature of our invention, what we claim is: i

1.".In a socket support for lamps with apair of spaced parallel pincontacts, said' support including a body having a slot to receive bothof said contacts by lateral movement in the plane of the contacts only,a pair of spaced spring contacts extending across said slot 4and eacharranged whenthe lamp is in the socket to engage one p in contact on theside thereof opposite the parallel pin contacts, an insulating bodyhaving other pin contact, and both spring contacts tend- Y slot entranceand forming spaced'seats facing A in opposite directions to receive thepin contacts, and said outer spring contact having an inclined camsurface outwardly of its seat toward the slot entrance for engagement bya. pin contact `as it moves inwardly in the slot to move said.

spring contact laterally toV permit passage of the pin contacts to saidseats.

5. In a socket support for lamps having spaced parallel pin contacts,'aninsulating body having a Aslot leading from one edge' for insertion ofthe lamp contacts by a 4lateral vmovement in the4 plane of the contacts,a spring contact forming a seatto receive the inner pin contact andtending to force said pinV contact outwardly toward the entrance to theslot, a rsecond spring contact extending across' the slot and forming aseat for the outer pin contact to retain it in the slot. and means formoving the" second spring contact to one side to permit passage of thepin contacts 4in the slot.

j 6. In asocket support for lamps having spaced a slot leadingfromoneedge for iisertion of the lamp contacts by .a lateral movement in .theplane of the contacts, a spring contact forming a seat to receive'theinner pin contact and tending to force said pin contact outwardlythrough the slot, a second spring contact extendingv across the slot andforming a seat for the outer pin contact to retain itin the slot, andsaid second spring contact having an inclined portion out- .wardly ofsaid seat to coactwith the pin contacts as they move into' the slot toshift said spring contact laterally to permit passage o! the pincontacts.

7. In a socket support for lamps having spaced parallel pin contacts,Yan insulating bodyhaving r a slot leading from one edge for insertionof the lamp contacts by a lateral movement in the plane of thesecontacts, a spring contact forming a seat to receive the inner pincontact when the pin contacts are inserted in the slot and tending toforce said pin contact outwardly toward the slot entrance, a secondspring contact extending across the slot and forming a seat for' theouter the said slot between the spring contacts, and

one of the spring contacts being movable laterally to` permit the pincontacts to move into and out of the slot by movements in the plane ofthe contacts only.

3. In a socket support for lamps having spaced V parallel pin' contacts,an insulating body having a slot leading from one edge for vinsertion ofthe lamp contacts by a latral movement, a pair of spring contactscarried by the body respectively spaced inwardlydiierent distances fromthe entrance to the slot and having seats'for the respectivepin contactsfacing in opposite directions to retain the pin contacts, the outerspringV contact being movable laterally to permit movement of the pincontacts into and from the slot,

and said latter spring contact also having an inclined portion outwardlyof the seat thereon toward the slot entrance for engagement by a pincontact as it is inserted in the slot to force said spring contactlaterally.

4`. In a socket support for lamps having spaced parallel pin'contacts,an insulating bodyhaving a slot leading from one edge for insertion ofthe lamp contacts by a lateral movement, a pair of spaced springcontacts in the body respectively located inwardly diierentdistancesfrom the pin contact to retain it in the slot, said second springcontact Ihaving an inclined cam surface outwardly of its seat to coactwith the pin contacts as they move into the slot to shiftA theY secondspring contact laterally, a manually operable means to shift said secondspring contact laterally to permit passage of the pin contacts, andsaidseat and cam surface on the second spring Contact being so spacedfrom the rst. spring contact that when the outer pin contact isoutwardly of the second spring contact the inner pin contact isseparated from the first spring contact to open the circuit through rthelamp.

8. In a socket support for lamps having spaced parallel pin contacts, aninsulating body having a slot leading from one edge for insertion of thelamp contacts by a lateral movement, a first spring contact forming aseat t receive the inner pin contact and tending to force said pincontact outwardly toward the slot entrance, a second spring contact toengage thev outer pin Contact to retain the lamp in the socket, vamanually operable. means to shiftvthe second spring contact laterally topermit passage of vthe outer pin contact under action of the 'rst springcontact and to permit the inner pin to move away from the i'lrst springcontact,- and means operable after such movement` to retain the innerpin conmmmnerponmnmfurmmvnh the Athlllllli spaced both the lmnp contactsby c lateral movement with' one contactr-Ioeatedinm'dlyfrom theother.amstspringcontsct forming e seat to receive the'mnerpincontsctandtendtngtoforeesctd 1o snringcontecttoreleuethepineontsctstoperpincontact outwardly toward the slot entrance.

mitpesngeoftbeseplncontectltrcmthebodyasecondspringoontectengagingtheouterpinpermittherstmentionedpincontectto contacttoretainitinthesiotandtendingtomoveoway'fromxenrstspringcontlct.end move to this holding position,manual means to means on the second spring contact to one oi' the pincontacts citer release oi' the second` shift the second spring contactto permit outward 15 movement oi the outer pin contact, and seidV pincontact to retain thenrst pincontsct in its second spring contact havingmeans to engage new position out of enactment with the iirst@tins-contact.

support ior lomp: hxving one of the pin contacts otter such movement tosupportV the lomp with the inner pin contact 12. In c nocht spacedpcrcllei pin contsckeninmietingbody.-

out of'ensccmentwitix the first spring contact. 20 10. In a socketsupport for lamps having spaced parallel pin contlcts, an insulatingbody having e slot to receive said contacts. a. rst

cpairofsnrinseontlctlinthebodxerrengedto pineontects. oneo! the tendingand the other hoidins them against theiirstspringeontectmanml means tethesecondsprinxcontcct torelease engage the respective contoiorcetiiepinsirom 4spx-ing contact in the body to engage one of theaction o! to o pin contacts and tend to force said pin contacts -2 tromthe body. a second Vspring operated contact to englse the other pincontact andV retain it f thepins, end mccnsopereble otter release of onein the body against the action of the rst spring contact. and a. manualmeans for shifting'l the second spring contact to permit passage of thepin contacts-from the of the pins to retain the other pin' in the body.

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